Record company exec cuffed for failure to twitter

Long Island police last week cuffed Island Def Jam Records vice prez James Roppo for failing to disperse a crowd of hysterical teenagers with the social networking equivalent of the water cannon - a tweet.

Thousands of young girls turned up at a shopping mall in Garden City, New York, last Friday expecting a gusset-moistening encounter with 15-year-old Canadian singing sensation Justin Bieber.

Some young 'uns and their parents had queued since before dawn to ensure they wouldn't miss the action, but two hours before Bieber was due to show at 4pm, things "got out of hand", as AP puts it.

A shaken 13-year-old Aimee Macchi explained: "People started screaming, 'Justin!' And they ran forward and the ropes collapsed. Everyone was pushing. There was no room to breathe."

Four people were injured in the ensuing mêlée, and amid the pandemonium cops arrested Roppo, 44, on a rack of misdemeanours, including "endangering the welfare of children and obstructing governmental administration".

Nassau County detective Kevin Smith elaborated: "We asked for his help in getting the crowd to go away by sending out a Twitter message. By not cooperating with us, we feel he put lives in danger and the public at risk."

Bieber, though, did manage to tweet under fire. He explained that the police had threatened to cuff him as well if he didn't make himself scarce, and added: "the event at roosevelt mall is cancelled. please go home. the police have already arrested one person from my camp. I dont want anyone hurt."

Bieber is currently in the UK and has hurt his foot, his fascinating twitterings reveal. ®